Just days after she had a historic debut for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup, Caitlin Clark suffered an embarrassing follow-up game against Italy. For the second game, Clark came off the bench as part of a youthful lineup that also featured Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese on the court. That particular rotation appears to work well, but against Italy, nothing seemed to work for Team USA.
Clark struggled to score in this outing, posting an embarrassing 0-for-6 field-goal stat and scoring just one point against Team Italy. She's never played a game without making a field goal in her collegiate or WNBA career. Clark wasn't the only one who shot poorly.
All of Team USA did, including teammates Kahleah Cooper and Breanna Stewart, who, with Clark, shot a combined 1-for-19 in the close win. More news: Caitlin Clark Causes Huge Problem for Nike After Historic FIBA World Cup Game Stewart was the only player of the three to make a field goal. Team USA struggled to make baskets throughout the game, as Italy played aggressively and physically with their defense, forcing mistakes.
Collectively, Team USA went 16-for-56, shooting 29% in their second game of the basketball tournament. Ultimately, the United States escaped with a 55-52 win in a game they were favored to win by as many as 30 points. That embarrassing performance from Clark and the team came just days after they routed Team China.
Clark had a historic debut with 11 assists, the most of any player in their FIBA World Cup debut. She also had a double-double in that game, scoring 14 points to help lead Team USA alongside Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard. However, Sunday's game was a far cry from that opening performance.
One could blame the rotations for not working properly or credit Team Italy for how they played. Team USA will have a quick turnaround to figure things out for their next game, as they play Czech Republic on Monday afternoon. More news: Team USA’s Caitlin Clark Makes History in FIBA World Cup Debut For more about the WNBA and FIBA World Cup, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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